26th Annual Muslim Day Parade 2011

26th Annual Muslim Day Parade 2011

September 27, 2011, 4:18 am
Filed under: Islam and mosques

The pictures are Before the Parade, The Prayers, The (very familiar) Parade ….we’ve observed for 5 years…. and then the Street Fair at Madison Sq Park (the final destination of the parade.) It’s the same parade every year. Same floats. Same Banners. Basically the same people IN the parade with hardly anybody watching from the sidewalks …. as it goes downtown. and….the parade seemed noticeably smaller this year.

The theme was “Proud To Be a Muslim-American “. Hosted by Bridges TV. Their Press Release said that, “The channel has come under new ownership”, with no mention of course, that this is the very same  TV Station whose founder  murdered his wife by decapitation. (a most inconvenient example of Sharia)

BEFORE THE PRAYERS … as Families and Schools arrived, while they waited for the prayers to begin,everyone took some pictures…

Signs, flags and banners:

With a concerted effort to stick with the theme, American Patriotism blended with their Proud display of Islam

THE PRAYERS: The prayers on Madison Ave were very low key this year. Very little hoop-la surrounding the set up of the tarps and the Imam saying prayers at the mic was surrounded (not easily seen) I understand, in the past, they were upset when female photogs got too close to the Imam. Guess they took care of that!

The Men

The ‘Great Divide” between the men and women

The Women

I discovered one poster of protest on a pole at 38th and Madison (I understand there had been more.) But, by parade-time they had been removed  all except this one)

THE PARADE: It began (as always)with the NYPD Mounted Police and the NYPD Police band playing “This Is My Country” (I always find that a bit heavy-handed)

The Parade’s Main Banner

Followed by this group of young men who always yell “Takbir, Takbir” all the way downtown (Non-Stop)

Followed closely by this:

And this group of young women proclaiming they are not oppressed.

And of course, the little children marching with their families. No yelling, just being lovely little children….

THE GRAND MARSHALLS (from their Press Release ” Grand Marshals for this year’s parade will be Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm Shabazz, and Imam Souleimane Konate, Secretary General of the Council of African Imams. The theme for the 2011 event is “Proud to be a Muslim-American.”

Robert Jackson in the blue shirt (Muslim Convert and the NYC Council’s only Muslim) announced to  a previous Muslim Day Parade crowd how great it was that Harlem is the MECCA of NYC.

AND finally, at then end of the parade, the kids on the “Bridges TV ” Float yelling “Allah Akbar” (as did other groups of kids in their age-group)

We then walk in to the blocked-off street next to Madison Sq Park. Clearly, this is where they should have started. Everyone is here. Just have a Street Fair!

DAWA (practically the first table)

The Farrakan OUT REACH table, where I found a few of the uniformed (presumably) Muslim Police talking with a very friendly Farrakan-type. After they left, when I approached to take my pictures, the now not-so-friendly Farrakan-fellow, ordered me to stop taking pictures of the books.

Muslim Converts Table….

Hijabs-R-Us

And then the staged area

Personal Observation: Why must the NYPD stand guard on Madison Ave (starting at since 4 AM I was told) ‘guarding’ everything til 6 PM??  when  there are no crowds….NO one is watching this parade. In the 5 years I’ve watched the parade: NO Crowds. The Parade participants seem to love gathering at the Park so, why not start there? Have a Street Fair. (And put the NYPD to better use )

Next post will be pictures from a Turkish Days Street Fest that was off Times Sq. Perhaps this had an impact on the parade this year since all of the Turkish Muslims seemed to be at that Fair.

Slide show:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

And their Press Release/Promo:

NEW YORK, N.Y., Sept. 21, 2011 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — One of the oldest Muslim-American organizations in the USA, the Muslim Foundation of America, in conjunction with multi-cultural television channel Bridges TV, has announced details for the 26th annual United American Muslim Day Parade, taking place in New York City at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 25, 2011.

Highlighted by a 15-block parade, live entertainment and speeches from members of the Muslim community, the parade will start at 37th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan and proceed downtown to 23rd Street for the live show, bazaar and a variety of ethnic foods. International TV distributor SoundView Broadcasting of Long Island City, NY will televise the entire event throughout America via Bridges TV on Verizon FIOS, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Buckeye, Cox and Selco.

Grand Marshals for this year’s parade will be Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm Shabazz, and Imam Souleimane Konate, Secretary General of the Council of African Imams. The theme for the 2011 event is “Proud to be a Muslim-American.”

The live stage show will feature Palestinian-Jordanian comedian Said Durrah, celebrated composer/vocalist Amir Vahab, various Nasheed artists and a performance by characters from the popular educational video series “Cam Ali.”

About The Muslim Foundation of America:
For twenty-five years, the non-profit Muslim Foundation of America (MFA), has organized the United American Muslim Day Parade in Manhattan on the last Sunday of September. Each year, the parade has grown in scope and significance, fulfilling its stated purpose of celebrating pride in a shared Muslim heritage, bringing together all ethnic and religious groups to promote a clearer understanding of Islam and establish interfaith cooperation between all Muslims and other religious and community groups.

About Bridges TV:
Bridges TV is an established American multi-ethnic English-language TV channel offering a broad range of lifestyle programming aimed at fostering greater understanding between all religions and cultures. The channel has come under new ownership, having recently been acquired by SoundView Broadcasting. SoundView is a provider of media and broadcast services for over 25 international television channels from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa, Egypt and the US to audiences in the United States, Canada, Europe and the UK
More information online: www.muslimdayparade.com.

NEWS SOURCE:  Bridges TV

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